Don't cry over the news that Hostess is closing it's doors for good. You can make all their delicious treats at home! Granted, they won't have the shelf life of the commercial products, but they'll taste even better.

Now, this is not the same Copycat Twinkie Recipe you will find all over the internet. This Twinkie recipe came from hard work and laborious testing (of the other various copycat twinkie recipes posted all over the internet). This Twinkie recipe combines the winningest recipes for best cake and best filling from the Epic 2010 Homemade Twinkie Challenge. Finally, I have combined the two in one ultimate Twinkie Recipe, guaranteed to please, according to the very scientific results from our challenge.

Summed up: This Twinkie Recipe blows the pants off the rest. So bookmark it now.

Step 1: Ingredients

This recipe yields 12 full-sized Twinkies, or 24 minis.

Cake:

16-ounce box golden pound cake mix
4 egg whites, beaten until stiff
2/3 cup (160mL) water

Filling:

1/4 cup (57g) non-hydrogenated shortening or coconut oil
1/4 cup (57g) margarine
1 cup (125g) powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

The Rest:

Twinkie Molds (aluminum foil will do in a pinch)
Non-stick cooking spray

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Step 2: Making the Molds

The fancy Twinkie molds are nice if you're going to be making them a lot, and they sure cut down on waste. But for my first time out, I decided to make them out of what I already had on hand: aluminum foil.

The trick for making a Twinkie mold from is quite simple, and easy to get the hang of. And if you're making Twinkies for the legions, I recommend making the half-sized molds that I used. In fact, just do it that way. ~~You don't need to be eating that much Twinkie!~~ Then you can have two.

Cut twenty four 9" sheets of aluminum foil
Fold each piece of aluminum foil in half twice.
Wrap the folded foil around a small spice bottle to create a mold.
Leave the top of the mold open for pouring in the batter.
Repeat.

Arrange on a cookie sheet or in a shallow pan. Spray molds with non-stick cooking spray.

Preheat the oven to 325F (160C)

Step 3: Twinkie Cake

Whip egg whites on high until stiff.

Add cake mix and water, and beat on medium speed until completely blended, about 2 minutes.

Step 4: Bake Twinkies

Divide batter evenly among the baking pan wells and bake at 325F (160C) until cakes spring back when touched, a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and cakes are golden brown, about 20 to 22 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes; then loosen from the sides by running a knife along the edge of the pan. Invert onto a rack, remove cakes, and cool completely.

Step 5: Twinkie Filling

Beat together the shortening and margarine with mixer until well combined and creamy.

Add the powdered sugar and beat until completely light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add the vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes.

Step 6: Filling the Twinkies

Once cakes are cool, flip each over, and with a straw or a skewer, make two incisions running the length of the cake (three for full sized Twinkies).

Scoop filling into a pastry bag fitted with a medium-size plain tip (or snip the corner off of a small plastic bag).

Place the tip into each incision, and press cream into the incisions until full. When cakes are completely full, turn them back over and serve.

Store any leftovers (as if) in an airtight container.

I hope you enjoy your new homemade Twinkies!